Gatherings of chizuk and deep mourning were held throughout the Jewish world to commemorate the first twelve months of the terrible loss to the Jewish people upon the passing of its Master and Mentor, HaRav Yosef Shalom Eliashiv, who led the Torah world and the entire Jewish world as a veritable pillar of fire, going before the camp. The guardian of the fundamentals of our religion and the master of Halacha and Hora'a to all Jewry, HaRav Eliashiv passed away on the bitter day of the 28th of Tammuz, 5772.
In anticipation of his yahrtzeit, which falls on Shabbos, commemorative assemblies and eulogies are being held throughout Eretz Yisroel and the Diaspora, to encourage all to follow in his footsteps and the path he bequeathed to the masses of Jewry throughout his life, and to bemoan the terrible loss to our people. In many places in Israel and abroad, these gatherings will be combined with siyumim of Shas studied explicitly for the further elevation of his exalted soul.
The central assemblages in Jerusalem and Modi'in Illit took place this Tuesday, as well as throughout the Jewish world. Another mass gathering is scheduled to take place this coming Thursday in Bnei Brak, in the Beis Medrash of HaRav Chaim Kanievsky. Similarly, a central chizuk gathering is scheduled on Thursday in Heichal Ateres Shlomo in Kiryat Sefer; another one in Jerusalem, in the old Tiferes Bochurim which was Rabbenu's chosen place of teaching; in Beit Shemesh's Chanichei Hayeshivos under the auspices of the rav of Ramat Beit Shemesh, HaRav Shlomo Zalman Perlstein among others.
On Wednesday there was a commemorative gathering in France organized by the Yad Mordechai institutions headed by HaRav Yitzchok Katz. Speaking will be HaRav Mordechai Gross and HaRav Yosef Efrati.
On Thursday is a special shiur in the Lakewood yeshiva given by HaRav Ezriel Auerbach, who is in America in connection with the annual meetings of Lev L'Achim held there. Before leaving Eretz Yisroel, HaRav Auerbach and the heads of Lev L'Achim visited HaRav Shteinman and HaRav Kanievsky for their brochos.
Yated Ne'eman will be issuing a special commemorative journal with this weekend edition.
